unseen shadow of the moon
by the roaming goddess
Summary: As Percy and co. take off to rescue Annabeth from the Titans, a disaster strikes camp. A quest is taken by a girl desperate to prove that there’s a lot going under the surface. Meet Ingrid, the girl who is suppose to be wearing high-heels and make-up.
1. Chapter 1

Ingrid looked in the mirror

Ingrid looked in the mirror. It was Tuesday morning, and she had just finished getting ready for school. Staring back at her, from that completely evil glass that seems to just show you what you don't want to see, was her horribly familiar face Saying that, one would assume she was ugly or just plain "not-pretty", because a lot of girls at age 13 do some how find ways to butcher the way they look in their minds. Well you're totally wrong. She had large indigo eyes, framed with long, dark lashes, tumbling black curls, reaching midway past her back. Her skin was lightly tanned, flawless and smooth. Her lips were elegant, set below a perfect nose. She wasn't pretty. She was utterly gorgeous. She knew it and hated it. Every one gave her special treatment; she could never feel good about any of her victories sometimes she just got it because she was so beautiful. She didn't have too many friends because all the boys liked her so they acted weird around her and all the girls were jealous. She didn't mind _those _things _that _much. She could usually tell what victories were phony and which she deserved, and when it comes to her friends, well lets just say that with her, it was quality not quantity. What she hated what people _assumed_ about her. Looking at her, they immediately decided she was a lot like a glass rose. Beautiful and rare, but delicate too, and we all know that once someone convinces themselves of some thing it can be very hard to change their minds, so to them, that's what Ingrid was. But that wasn't who she was at all. Inside she was a zany tomboy, who had her own way of looking at things that no one seemed to understand. She had dyslexia and ADHD and loved them both. When she was younger she said that the letters loved her more then anyone else because they danced for her, but when her second grade teacher tried to help her read properly she yelled and stamped on his foot. She didn't get in trouble. But she knew even than that if anyone else did that they would stay in for morning break.

"Ingrid honey!"

Her foster mother's loud, girlish voice broke her day dreams.

"Ingrid, it's getting late. Come on, I'll drive you to school"

"'K Joan, I'm coming down!"

Ingrid glanced one last time at her horribly stunning reflection and jogged out of her room.

Ingrid saw her best (and only) friend Orlando waiting for her at the gate. He was a quiet kid with dark shaggy hair and big, soft, but serious dark brown eyes.

"Yo, Lando, over here!"

Orlando looked around, seeing her, he jogged towards her

"Late night?" he remarked noting the dark circles under her eyes "or just another scheme to lead some of your many admirers off?"

Ingrid glared at him "shut up"

"Well?"

"Sort of both" she said rolling her eyes. "I was up late trying to read, but you know how with my dyslexia, it's a little hard. Seriously how am I suppose to be a story addict if I can't read!"

"Hmm…"

"What about you, what's on your mind"

"What? Oh nothing"

"Well you seem really distracted…"

Orlando opened his mouth to talk but at that moment the bell rung.

"That bell is so unholy, it has like a mind of its own, it always rings at the wrong moment!" moaned Ingrid

"Normally I would agree with you, but this time I'm on the bells side. It saved my life so I owe it one. C'mon we better get to class"

And they started to trudge to homeroom

The rest of the day past with out much event. When the bell for last period rung Ingrid and Orlando took their normal rout to the gate together before turning their separate ways.

"Well, see ya Lando"

"Wait, Ingrid… I need to tell you something. It's important. Could we talk?"

"Err ok…"

"There's something I've known about you for a very long time. Something important I should have told you ages ago, last year, but I kept putting it off. But your getting to old now and if I wait any longer it'll be to late and--"

"get to the point all ready or I'm going home!"

"OK, here it is." Orlando took a deep breath "you're not human and neither am I well sort of, your half human your dad was a human but your mom is an Olympian god but I don't know which one and I'm a satyr and we have to get you to this place called camp half blood because there's a big war coming up in like 2 years or something and it can destroy the western civilization and you need to be trained and also you wont be safe and--" Orlando broke of. He had said this all really quickly with out taking a single breath.

"Hold your horses! Are you feeling ok Lando? 'Cause seriously you don't play practical jokes very well, so either you've been practicing or your crazy. I'm going with crazy, but then again we already knew that."

"This _isn't_ a joke. I'm serious, you're in danger!"

"C'mon"

"I can prove it to you"

"Uh huh"

"Yea, don't you ever see things that aren't there, or that no one says is there but they feel so real, that as much as you want to, you can't believe them. Don't you ever wake up from really weird dreams and then find out that you saw something that really happened?"

Ingrid turned pale "I… have a wild imagination"

"That's what people tell you to think, that's what you want to think, but you know its not true. Was that tall man in the ally behind the café _imagination_?_"_

"How did you know about that?"

Orlando ignored her and continued "Was the snake woman who killed you're dad _imagination"_

That did it, no one, and that means NO ONE, could talk to her EVER about her fathers murderer" shut up" her voice was quiet and dangerous

"She wasn't was she? If she was then your dad would be alive now, telling you this instead of me"

"I said SHUT UP!"

"Ingrid I know you don't want to talk about this but you have to believe me or your going to end up like him."

"And I thought that you were my friend" Ingrid said in a voice so cold that it could freeze Mercury. Burning tears of hurt and anger ran down her cheeks and she turned away and started to run home. But then she stopped and turned around to face Orlando "Let's make something clear. You are NEVER going to talk to me again, ok? _Lando_" using his nickname as a cold taunt. She turned back and ran. Leaving Orlando standing there, devastated but determined that he wouldbring her to camp half blood. Orlando wasn't the type to give up no matter how many times he failed


	2. Chapter 2

Ingrid looked in the mirror

**Hey pplz! Im sooo happy people liked it! Heres some more. School finished today so I can update a lot. Im not as happy with this chapter as the last one cuz I hate riting fight scences but hey! I tried! **

**Chapter 2**

Ingrid ran and kept running. Warm salty tears were still pouring down her face. She could feel Orlando eyes still on her no matter how far away she was. Finally she reached her apartment. She pressed her floor, waited, adjusting herself, wiping her tears. She didn't want any one to notice she'd been crying. That would NOT make it any easier to prove to people that she wasn't delicate. DING the elevator stopped at the 12th floor and she got out and let herself into her apartment then into her room. She collapsed onto her bed, sobbing.

_How could he do this to me!_ She thought. _We're supposed to be best friends. The only other people who know that my dad was murdered are the police, the detectives and Joan. And I never told _anyone _else that the murderer looked like a snake woman .I _trusted _him. _

Yet a small voice said in her head

_Orlando would never talk to you about your dad just to hurt your feelings. He wouldn't have done it unless he was serious. _

_Shut up _She told it

_Do you think that maybe, just maybe, your dad isn't the only reason you're so upset right now. Maybe it's because you know there's a chance he's right. He knew about all those things, you never told him, did you?_

_Shut up, _the voice shut up, it had said what it had to say. That annoying part of everyone's brain was always right. She didn't want to listen to sense she just wanted to go back to moping and wallowing in self pity. It sounded pathetic but sometimes, when you're really upset, you have to get it out of your system. But the Fates didn't give her much time for that.

BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

The phone rang. She sighed and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Is Joan Draconum There?" Ingrid almost dropped the phone. The voice on the other end was so cold and young, it was disturbing.

"Yes, she is. Who is this?"

"That's not for you to know, Give the phone to Ms. Draconum, This is a business call."

"Um ok… wait a moment please." Ingrid covered the phone with one hand and yelled "JOAN, PHONE CALL."

"Send it on the intercom to my room honey!"

Ingrid pressed 9 21 to move the call to Joans room. She heard Joan pick up the phone.

"Hello, who is this?" then a gasp.

"Oh, Hello sssir, what do I owe thisss pleasssure?"

The change in her foster mother's voice startled Ingrid. It was stiff and surprised but also sounded like, well sounded like a different person. More… reptilian. She had heard it before… somewhere. Curiosity took control of her; she picked up her phone and eavesdropped.

"…progressing? When can we expect to recruit her?" Ingrid heard the cold voice say.

"In fact, I believe she hasss been told… she knowsss what she isss."

"Does she believe it?"

"No sssir"

"So you believe that we will not be expecting her to join us?"

"Yesss sssir"

"Pity, she could have been useful…" the cold voice mused

"What are my ordersss sssir?"

A pause—and then "Kill her"

Ingrid dropped the phone.

"What was that?"

"I don't know… I shall carry out my ordersss now sssir"

"Very well and don't fail me this time"

The phone lay beeping on the floor. Ingrid was in a state of shock frozen with fear. She heard a knock on the door.

"Ingrid honey, are you home?" Joan's voice came from right outside the door.

Ingrid was too scared to speak. She was confused but all she knew was that her foster mother was going to kill someone, a girl… her? The door opened silently.

"I've got cookies…"

Joan stood in the door way

"Sweetie you look so pale, are you sick?"

All she could do was shake her head

"Ingrid can we talk" she sat down next to her "There's something you know that I need to know. Tell me everything that happened at school today"

A change came over Ingrid. She wasn't scared, she was angry. She knew in that instant that Orlando had been telling the truth and that Joan was what she wasn't safe from, what he was trying to protect her from. She would tell her anything.

"Nothing happened Joan, it was a normal, boring day." Her voice was completely calm and casual.

"Now don't lie to me sssweetie" Her voice changed and that wasn't all

Joan stood up, and changed from a plump blond lady with bright red lipstick and lots of makeup, to something even scarier. The skin on her face seem to crumple and melt away until her face was nothing but a skull covered in shriveled dry, dark green skin. It seemed to be spreading throughout her body, her neck, shoulders, arms, stomach, waist, legs, and then feet. Her legs began to cover with muddy green scales. The bones melted away. Her legs were now two identical snake tails. Wings started to sprout from her back. Not the graceful angelic kind, they were spiky, sharp and leathery, like bat wings. **(AN- I wasn't sure if the Scythian dracaenae had wings but I thought it added to the effect of "dragon woman"). **Ingrid could only watch as her foster mother transformed into a monster. Right now, it would be extremely rational to be terrified, but Ingrid felt surprisingly calm. She was almost… _expecting _it. Well not this in particular but _something_ out of the ordinary.

"What you gonna' do now? Hit me with your… tail? Just cause' you got a makeover doesn't make you dangerous"

Joan pulled out a silver dagger from the cookie tray next to her.

"ah… "

The dagger glinted in the sun light, clean and unused, its blade jagged and sharp like broken glass. Ingrid could almost see her own dark red blood dripping from it.

_No. _ She thought _not gonna' happen._

Then she kicked. It probably sounds sort of stupid, I mean kick a dragon woman with a _knife, _but she wasn't going to sit back and hand Joan her life on a silver platter! Joan blocked easily but Ingrid wasn't done yet. 5 years of tai-kwan-do training was coming back to her. Ingrid was a red belt, that was only two belts away from black, but she hadn't trained for 3 years… since her dad died. Dad! That was why this new Joan looked so familiar. Fires of anger and pure hate surged through her, burning any sanity she had left.

"You"

"Me what? Ssspeak in complete sssentencesss."

"We both know what you did, what you've done to me... and my father… I see no need for me to say it"

"awww… the baby wantsss her daddy…"

Ingrid kicked again, low this time, where Joan was undefended. While Joan was momentarily distracted she grabbed the knife. Joan made a desperate grab for it then tripped her with one of her tails, Wrapped her arms around her and took the knife back.

"Did you really think you had a chance?" the knife only an inch away from her throat.

"do you want to know what your father said, right before he died? He prayed to your mother, asking her, begging her to keep you safe. Where is she now? No one ever loved you but him, and now you can see him again" She pulled the dagger back, preparing to thrust it forward into her throat. Ingrid squeezed her eyes shut.

TWEEK!

Ingrid opened her eyes in surprise. An ivy vine whipped the dagger out of Joan's hands. The horrible tune continued. Vines pulled Joan away from her and then onto the floor. Joan struggled against them as if they were iron chains.

"Hey, Ingrid, you looked like you needed some help!"

"ORLANDO!"

"C'mon we got to get you out of here."

And with that he pulled her out of the house and they RAN.

**Ok hope u liked it! Review plz! I need to take her to camp half blood somehow and I need people to tell me how. I was thinking maybe the grey sisters? I have a very supportive friend… when I told her I rote my first fan fic and she was just like "omg how bad is it" I was just sorta like thank you so much for all that support! So I gloated that no one flamed me yet… it was fun (sorry random) anyways thnx 4 reading! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this isn't an amazing chapter, its sorta like an in betweeny thing but the last few days have been busy and depressing so ya. All my bffs r moving away and I just realize im gonna b alone on my birthday! August 3… y must it b in summer Y!! also im sorta sickish and I had this ana pana meditation course all day yesterday that was nice but it was reli hard and gave me a head ache. Ppl I am on the verge of an emotional breakdown (more then I allredi have ) so cut me some slack. Seriously, my mom took me to c kung fu panda and I SOBBED when they show that little baby turned evil, that shows u how wacko im going so seriously! Sry im being random … heres the next chap. Enjoy… **

Chapter 3

They had put a good 300 meters between themselves and the house before they finally stopped running. Orlando looked like he could keep going for a while but Ingrid looked ready to pass out.

"We should go a little further, just to be safe" suggested Orlando.

Ingrid glared at him "Shut up" she said, breathlessly, "you might be able to win an Olympic footrace but I'm only human"

"Well technically--"

Ingrid silenced him with a glare and sat down on the side walk, breathing heavily.

"How are we going to get to this camp of yours anyways?"

"I was thinking, like, cab."

"Does it fly, by any chance?"

"No, unless you want the grey sisters, but I'm not in the mood for all the 'tooth, eye, barf' stuff"

"Orlando"

"Mmm?"

"I was being sarcastic"

"Oh"

Five minutes later they were sitting in a normal Manhattan taxi.

"So where is this camp?"

"Long Island, in a strawberry farm"

"Ah" this was a little much for her to comprehend. "So what was the thing you did back at the house with the –"

"Woodland magic, these—"he waved a bunch of small thin reeds tied together and cut at different lengths "—are reed pipes. They were created by Pan. We Satyrs are his spiritual children; he was the first of us"

"Wait, Pan as in Peter Pan? Cause' he had one of those reed pipe thingy's '

Orlando looked horrified "NO! Pan as in the lost great god of the wild places, Pan as in nature its self, Pan, who disappeared over 1000 years ago, who millions of satyrs have died looking for!"

"Oh, that Pan… I'm going to pretend I know what you're talking about"

Orlando sighed "Never mind"

"So what were those things you were telling me about after school?" she pursued

"You mean when you didn't listen?"

"Um… ya sorry about that…"

Orlando snorted

"I am!"

"Ya, good, cause' you should be!"

"Look, I said I was sorry, can't we move on already?"

"No, we can't. Ingrid you are about to enter a world where you can't make stupid mistakes, and I don't think you realize exactly what you did!'

"I didn't believe you and you were right?"

"Yes, you left me standing there like a complete idiot, but you did way more than that. You got yourself in danger and almost killed, and aside from the fact that that would really suck for you, I would have lost my job and we would lose a powerful half blood! I don't think you realize the delicacy of the situation here!"

"Maybe because I don't know what the situation _is_!" exclaimed Ingrid in aspiration. "You didn't tell me anything apart from that we were preparing for war! Who's '_we' _anyways?"

"'_We'_ is every one on our side"

"No freakin' duh. And who is that"

Orlando rolled his eyes "basically everyone at camp and on Olympus but some of them are traitors and spies."

"What's the war about, start from the beginning."

"You know those stories from Greek and Roman mythology, Zeus, Hera, Hades excetera?"

"Ya…"

"And you know the story of Kronos?"

"Ya, that freak had a bunch of kids then heard a prophecy that his kids would kill him so he ate them all, but then his wife saved one of them. Then the kid who didn't die, who was Zeus, made him throw up the other kids and they all beat him up and killed him, and they all lived happily ever after bla bla bla. We learnt it all in ancient history, you were there!"

"Well it's all true and now Kronos is back."

"But they killed him"

"Ingrid do you know what 'immortal' means"

"Ya, but if he's not dead then why does the legend say he was killed? "

"Zeus cut him into a million pieces and scattered them in Tartarus. But an Immortal can't die, hence the name, he was just too weak to cause any problems, until two years ago."

"What happened then?"

"He managed to speak to a half blood in his dreams, a son of Hermes named Luke, he convinced him to help him rise to power. Now Kronos is almost strong enough to rise completely"  
"What does he want?"

"What do you think? He wants to take his throne back!"

"What does that mean for everyone else, like the world?"

"The end of the Western Civilization."

"Oh. My. God. That's… BIG"

"_Now _do you understand what you could have done?"

"No"

"Huh?"

"Well I'm just one kid; I don't see how me getting killed could bring him back completely,"

"You're a strong half blood"

"How do you know?"

"I can smell it"

"I took a shower this morning" said Ingrid, offended.

"No, not like that you idiot, I can smell you're a half blood and the stronger you're sent is, the more powerful you are"

"Can you tell who my mom is from smelling me?"

"No, I normally can make a good guess but… I can't recognize your scent…"

"Oh"s

There was a short silence.

"Lando?"

"Ya"

"I am sorry you know"

"Ya, I know"

"So are we friends again?"

"We always were" he grinned

Ingrid opened her mouth to say something but then a surprised look crossed Orlando's face.

"STOP"

The cab screeched to a halt.

"What is it son, is the car on fire!?" yelled the cabbie with an alarmed look on his face

"No, but we almost missed our stop"

"What here? We're in the middle of nowhere, you sure?

"Yes I'm sure, just let us out here please"

"Ok but it's your funeral"

"Don't worry, you'll be invited!" piped up Ingrid cheerfully

The Taxi driver looked horrified, he grabbed the money Orlando was holding out and kicked them out of the cab.

"So this is the camp I've heard so much about." Said Ingrid

"You see the pine tree with the golden cloth on it? After that is camp half blood" There was a look in Orlando's eyes so full of longing it was painful "I can't wait to be home after a whole year!"

And with that they hiked up the hill.

**Alas, a boring chapter filled with things you already knew… I had to put it in somewhere! Ok ppl I need help, I think asking for peoples real emails so I cud show them a pic of Ingrid just made them think I was a freaky stalker pervisite (a cross between a parasite and a pervert) so is it possible to upload it onto the story itself? You know what? im gonna put it on a word doc and then add that doc as a chapter and see what happens. lolz**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**hiya ppl! im sry I haven't updated in a while… so im updating now… obvious much?? ok u no the pic of Ingrid I was bugging people about? well some ingenious person told me to put it as my avatar… THE GODS HAVE BLESSED YOU MEISAWSOME! ya so its my avatar. I no I shudnt be making sutch a big deal about a dumb pic but I HATE going half way to something and just stopping it drives me insane even If its tinsy. ill keep the pic up for a while, and if its not there any more send me a pm and ill put it back up. da original pic goes down to her waist but it wudnt fit. I just realized I never made it clear that its winter in the story so I better start now…**

After a good ten minutes of trudging up a steep hill, in knee deep snow, the summit started to even out and the shivering pair found themselves looking at a tall blue farmhouse, strawberry fields, a few Greek style buildings, the woods, and a few of the most mismatched buildings Ingrid had ever seen . The snow had only fallen lightly there and there were small twinkling lights every where. It was a strange,

Patchwork-like place yet it was beautiful.

"Oh my gods, I can't believe I'm home…" Orlando murmured. "After three long years, I'm home for good!" The sight of his home seems to give him newfound energy. He grabbed Ingrid's arm "Come on! I'll take you the Chiron and Mr. D!"

and then he sprinted down the hill, past a climbing wall with lava at the bottom, past volley ball pits where satyrs like Orlando played against some kids wearing orange shirts, and then into the farmhouse. There were to men playing cards in the parlor.

One of the guys had shaggy brown hair and a beard; he was in a wheel chair but he looked pretty fit. The other guy was chubby, pink in the face, with curly hair that was so black it looked purplish, and smelled of alcohol and sour grapes. Orlando straitened up right away.

"Mr. D sir, Chiron, this is Ingrid Snowdrift, the half blood I was assigned to for two years."

"Oh, amazing, another brat to look after! And it took you long enough." said the fat guy.

_Wow, now _that's _rude. _Ingrid thought indignantly and she opened her mouth to say something but Orlando kicked her leg warningly.

"That's Mr. D the camp director, _don't _mess with him, he's a god" he muttered

"Well he brought her, and that's what matters" said the wheel chair guy, cheerfully "now this way to the den, and I'll show you the orientation video"

_Ok _thought Ingrid, trying to take in the information from the movie she had just watched. _So wheel chair guy is Chiron, a centaur that's like, a zillion years old._

_Mr. D is not just an obnoxious, fat, dunk, but is the _King _of obnoxious, fat, dunks. I'm half god and Orlando has hooves. _

"And _these _are the cabins" Orlando's voice broke into her musings. They were standing in front of twelve mismatched buildings arranged in a U shape.  
"Which one will I be in?"

"Hermes" said Orlando, pointing at a wooden cabin at the end of the row. "that's where all the undetermined kids go"

They walked up to the door of the wooden cabin and knocked.

Nothing

They knocked again

Still nothing

Ingrid got impatient and hammered on the door

"Yo! Is any one home!?" she yelled

a tallish boy with reddish brown hair opened the door bringing and heavy metal music escaped the room. It was a miracle that you couldn't hear anything from the out side.

"Sorry about that" yelled the boy over the stereo "I couldn't hear"

"I wonder why" Said Ingrid, grinning.

"You a new kid? Well you better come in" he looked past her. "Orlando! Long time no see, are you back for good now?"

"Hey Connor, Yep, unless they send me out again obviously, but I don't think they will for a while." Orlando grinned and the boy led them inside. To put it simply, it was messy. Bunk beds were unmade; sleeping bags were laying discarded on the floor, playing cards, magazines, dirty clothes, candy wrappers, and crushed soda cans as far as the eye could see. Ingrid grinned, she'd fit in just fine here. Conner led them to a boy who looked _exactly _like him but a little taller. "Hey, Travis! We got a newbie and Orlando's back in town!"

"Cool, regular or undetermined"

"Undetermined" Orlando answered

"I'm still here you know!"

"No… Really?" said Travis "C'mon ill get you some toiletries and a sleeping bag"

"From where"

"Well, I was thinking Aphrodite… they normally have spare tooth brushes so nothing will be to gross, and they are _so_ unsuspecting. How good are you at pinching stuff?"

Ingrid grinned. When she was living with her dad in a one room apartment with never enough to eat she had taken to pick pocketing and stealing from small fruit stands, and when she had been fostered, she had kept it up, just in case. "No problem"

"Then lets go shopping" Travis winked at her.

Travis, Connor, and Ingrid walked out casually, through the cabins.

"And that's the Artimis cabin, no one stays there…" said Connor, pretending to be showing her around."

"And _here_ is Aphrodite"

"Wow, it's so…glamorous…" gasped Ingrid, faking admiration, and wide eyed innocence.

"You wanna' take a closer look?"

"That would be amazing" she gushed.

"Ok come one then."

They walked up to the cabin just as some campers came out. Connor quickly went to go talk to them, steering them away.

"No, let me take you to the stables! You might trip and fall in horse manure… no no, manure means _poop…_yes it is disgusting, but don't worry I'll make sure you don't fall" He threw a look over his shoulder to Travis, '_You SO owe me' _he seemed to say

Travis caught his foot in the door just before it closed.

"Ok" he stressed "You have to be very carful at this bit, you don't want Aphrodite to notice you coming in, or she'll get angry, its different for a Hermes kid, sneaking into things is what we were born to do but--"

But Ingrid wasn't listening, a strange feeling of sureness came to her and she just _felt _that she would be fine in that cabin. She started to creep in. Travis looked alarmed and followed her"

"Ingrid, what the hell are you doing?" he whispered

"Chill, its fine"

He sighed "they keep their spares over here" he said pointing to a pale pink cabinet.

She opened it grabbed a few bottles of lavender scented shampoo, jasmine conditioner, rose shower gel; you get the picture, from the backs of neat rows. She gave Travis a thumb up. He had a bundle of stuff in his hands, and they sunk back out and ran back to the Hermes cabin. Once they were safely out of "enemy territory" Travis said angrily "Dude, what were you thinking, just barging in like that!"

"I did the same thing you did!"

"Ya, but I'm a child of Hermes! I've been doing this for ages _and _my dad protects me when I do it!" He was trying to sound angry, but he didn't. He sounded more… impressed. "It doesn't make sense. Maybe you're a child of Aphrodite! You definitely look it--"he cut of when he saw Ingrid's scowl "—_or _you could be a child of Hermes…"

"Nah" said Ingrid "I was raised by my dad, I have a female Olympian parent"

"Well, maybe you're just lucky!"

"Mmm, let's go rescue Connor then find Orlando"

Only a few seconds out the door, they found Connor sprinting up to them with Orlando next to him, laughing hysterically.

"Have fun?" asked Travis

"Definitely, you know that place behind the hay stack where they shovel all the manure for the gardener to collect? Ya well I told them that's where they keep the "pink" saddles and the second the walked there… well, let's just say they had a little fall…" he said laughing "its classic, not very imaginative, but it gets them every time!"

"You should have seen the look on their faces! So surprised! You'd think _years _of this happening they'd start to expect _something!_" they collapsed laughing as a group of angry looking Barbie dolls tried to run to the showers, but kept tripping in their 3 inch, pink, pencil heels. Then all of a sudden, the most random thing happened. A ball of fire fell from the sky into the lake, sending boiling water in all directions. Naiads and campers alike freaked out and scrambled out of the water as a white minivan bobbed to the surface.

Ingrid turned to the others "Is that normal here?" She asked, stunned.

"Um…no?" said Conner looking bewildered.

"No" Orlando agreed "_definitely _not normal"

They ran to the lake to see what was going on.

**Hahaa! im back on track. no riting 2moro though cuz its my sisters birthday but on Saturday (day after 2moro no duh) I can rite more. Next chapter :shes gonna meet the hunters, u meet Orlando's idol and she gets claimed… maybe. I dunno but that's what im aiming for but it might not all fit. but the first two thingies will happen for sure. note to Alison- I miss u like mad allredi but stop pretending to b ramdom people and posting weird reviews "Harhar?" or ill block anonymous reviews (MUAHAHAHAAAAAAA)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**hey! just a note im not gonna reply any reviews cuz the email I use for fan fic is my skool email and I think their renovating the skool webpage so… I cant get into it so I cant reply, I can still check my reviews the same way I check someone elses tho and ill send u a pm reply if u ask a cool question but other wise… im 2 lazy to send a pm to every one. **

By the time the reached the lake the passengers of the freak minivan had already climbed out and were standing on the edge of the lake. They had _somehow _managed to stay dry, it might have had something to do with the fact that they arrived in a minivan looking like a _ball of fire_. Ingrid studied the newcomers curiously.

There were around Fifteen of them: there was a dark haired guy with green eyes, a boy with curly brown hair like Orlando, a girl wearing black with punk hair and blue eyes, and a younger boy with black hair and olive skin, he was bouncing around like he was about to pee his pants… but with _joy._ Then there was about ten or eleven girls wearing silver parkas. They all had bows. A strange feeling came over Ingrid, as if she knew them; as if was _one_ of them once… as if she was meant to become one again. She wondered who they were, but she shook of the feeling for a while. The large group started to talk almost themselves, and then slit up, the curly haired kid and the sliver girls towards the cabins and the others towards the big house.

Ingrid turned to the others "Does any one know who those guys are?"

Connor shrugged "They looked really familiar but we're to far and I can't really see their faces"

Orlando was starting to get a strange look on his face; he was starting to look like that little kid on the minivan.

"Um… Lando? Are you OK"

"I don't know… I think I just saw… but it couldn't be… but it _is_" he murmured.

"_What _are you going on about?"

Orlando's face lost it's cloudily look all of a sudden and it was replace with one of complete certainty. "C'mon you guys theirs someone I want you to meet." and he started to run towards the cabins.

"You think he recognized one of those kids?" asked Travis, sarcastically.

They started to sprint after Orlando.

When they finally caught up to him he was approaching the Artemis cabin just as the curly haired guy from the lake walked out.

"GROVER!" Orlando yelled charging towards him. Grover looked surprised at first but then, seeing Orlando, he looked just as excited. He pulled Orlando into a bear hug. They talked excitedly for a while, laughing hysterically. Ingrid, Travis and Connor stood awkwardly on the side lines, unsure whether or not they would interrupt. Orlando noticed them and gestured for them to join him.

"Grover, this is Ingrid, she's the half-blood I've been working with for the last three years, and you probably met Connor and Travis."

There was a chorus of 'hey's, 'nice to meet you' 'it's been a while' ect.

"Guys," said Orlando "I'd like you to meet my older brother, Grover, he practically raised me. He's the best searcher in the world and he's helped saved the camp tones of times, he'll be the one who finds Pan!" he announced proudly. Grover blushed. "I'm not so great, but thanks, I can't believe we got back to camp the same day! But…"

"What?"

"I might not be able to stay long… I can feel some sort of calling out there, like I'm needed…" His voice trailed of, but then seeing Orlando's face fall he brightened "Well, its better then nothing, I haven't seen you in at least a year, not counting pictures in emails, so let's make the best of what we have, eh? I have to go to the big house to see Chiron, walk with me?"

Orlando brightened "Sure! But…" he glanced at the others.

"go on" said Ingrid "I'm sure I won't die in the next half in hour, and you two seem to have a lot to catch up on."

Orlando grinned thankfully at her and started to walk of with Grover.

"Wow, their real tight aren't they…" said Ingrid after a while.

"Ya, I can't believe I didn't recognize him before. I don't really talk to him much but he's got a bit of a rep here, and his best friend is _extremely _powerful, nice guy though." Travis replied.

"Ah" There was a short silence. Ingrid was debating on whether or not to ask what was nagging on her mind. "Umm… guys?"

"Ya?"

"Who were those girls…? The ones in sliver?"

"So _this _is what's been bugging you!" Said Travis.

"What?"

"Come _on _Ingrid, ever since the lake you've been distant!" Connor said, laughing.

Ingrid smiled absently, she _had _been distant, the girls had triggered something in her mind but it wasn't just that. It felt weird seeing Orlando's brother. It just reminded her that, even though they had been best friend for the last three years, there was still so much about him she knew nothing about; there was still so much about _her_ she knew nothing about.

"So… who are they?"

"The girls? Their huntresses of Artemis."

"Tell me about them!"

Connor sat down on the grass, Ingrid and Travis followed the suit. "Well, you know who Artemis is, right?"

"Duh!" All the times they had studied mythology at school, the only gods she took any interest to was Artemis and Athena, the chaste goddesses. She knew basically every thing about them, and she knew about the huntresses in the legends, but, it couldn't be exactly the same after so many years!

"Well, their chaste, they hate boys, and once they join Artemis their given eternal youth… I don't know too much about them, but I'm pretty sure they go around the country getting rid of monsters, saving random people, trying to recruit girls and stuff. their sort of cold and stiff, but that's probably cause' we're boys" Travis's eyes twinkled "you could probably join them you know"

"What?"

Connor rolled his eyes "you're _so _obvious; don't even pretend that's not what you've been dreaming about all day."

As if on cue, the huntresses emerged from the cabin. "Here's your chance now Ingrid!" Connor winked

"See ya 'round sis" said Travis, getting up

"What?! Where are you going?" but they were gone. Ingrid took a deep breath

_Come on you wimp, it's now or never…_

She walked up to them and said brightly"Hey, you're the huntresses of Artemis right? The ones who were in the car that trashed the lake?"

They laughed except for one girl in a circlet, she just smiled faintly. One of them, a girl about her age with curly red hair and green eyes spoke to her "Yep, that's us! I'm Alisara; you must be a half blood! Who's your parent?"

"I'm Ingrid, today's my first day at camp half blood, I just got here like an hour ago, so I don't really know who my mom is."

"Cool, were going down to the archery range" she threw a questioning look to the girl with the circlet, who seemed to be the leader; she nodded "You want to come with?"

Ingrid grinned "I'd love to! But I've never used a bow and arrow before…"

"No problem, I'll teach you!" They all seemed pretty friendly despite Travis's warning of them being "cold" and "stiff", except maybe circlet girl. They started walking towards the archery range.

"So" said Alisara "if you're going to hang with us you should know, this is Lyra" she pointed to a girl with long blond hair grey blue eyes, who smiled at her "and this is Eva" she poked a petite girl with wavy brown hair and bluish green eyes, she grinned.

"So, what do hunters do exactly? Do you just run around the country fighting monsters and recruiting half bloods?"

"Not just half bloods" said Eva, brightly "Lady Artemis doesn't discriminate by birth, we have half bloods, Nymphs, Mortals, whoever wants to join can join. I'm a Naiad, I use to have my own little creak, but then it got so polluted and some people dammed it up. Eventually it sort of… died I guess, they blocked me off from the river I come off of and it dried up." She was starting to get a little teary.

"I'm sorry" said Ingrid awkwardly

"It's fine…" Eva angrily wiped her eyes "It was a long time ago, but I'm fairly new to the party actually, only about fifty years. Stupid hippies _act _all 'save the whales' but I know, first hand, they're all evil polluting jerks" there was a bit of an awkward silence until Eva burst out laughing "I'm _joking _you guys! I'm over it and I have a way more exciting life now, besides the hippies were pretty nice, they had a protest on my bank before the creek dried up, it was the government, as always, it doesn't matter, I'm one of like a gazillion, and I ended up better then _a lot._"

"So what's you guy's story? More evil, polluting, humans?"

Lyra laughed "Nope! I was a Nephelae"

"A _what_elae?"

"A cloud Nymph, but I got bored. I was sick of watching other people have fun, having adventures, making a difference instead of just sitting daintily on top of my misty domain being bored. One night I was randomly shooting at some stars, none of them hit the stars of course, they were to far away, but there's nothing else to do. Back to the point I was shooting randomly, when I saw a _shooting _star, and I thought it would be a funner target then stationary. But it was closer then I thought, and I hit it. The thing was, it turned out it wasn't a shooting star, it was _Artemis's chariot."_

"… Ouch"

"Ya, so I was, like pleading for mercy, but she just said she that she was impressed with my archery skills and made me an offer, and well here I am!"

"What about you" Ingrid asked turning to Alisara.

She shrugged "I am--was a mortal with the sight, some of us are just like that, we can see through the mist, better then half bloods and nymphs too. Any way it sort of captured the Lady's attention and she asked me to join, after explaining every thing of course."

The crowd of girls stopped walking.

"We're here!" said Eva "RUN"

They ran, following Eva, until she jerked to a sudden halt in an empty archery aisle.

"What happened? What's wrong? Why are we stopping? Why is no one else running?" a flood of panicked questions escaped Ingrid.

Eva laughed "Well I wanted to get an aisle before everyone else got one!"

Alisara rolled her eyes and Lyra punched her Eva's arm, But Ingrid burst out laughing

"So are you guys going to keep you're promise and teach me?"

"Have your feet parallel to each other, toes facing left me" Said Alisara, she studied Ingrid's feet "No, legs closer together… good, now stand normally." Ingrid followed her directions

"Ok now go back into that position, I want to see if you'll do it right this time… good but make sure you're not putting your weight on your back leg, have it evenly spread out, try again." she corrected

_Jeeze, she's a pretty tough teacher! _ Ingrid thought as she went back into normal standing then into the archery stance, making sure her weight was evenly spread out.

"_Perfect_, you got it really quickly! What you just learnt was the 'square stance' there are other ones, but I like this one best. I'll go get her a bow, someone else take over now."

"Now stand up strait" said Eva, her voice had gone from mischievous to strict and commanding, but her eyes still sparkled jokingly.

"Balance your shoulders so they are the same height… good but relax you're neck"

At this point, Alisara ran back with a bow in her hand, and held it up to Ingrid's body, "Oh my gods, it's the _perfect _size!" she exclaimed.

"My turn!" said Lyra "I'll help you find your grip." she offered, but it wasn't a question. "Put the arm closest to the target, which should be your dominate arm, strait out, without moving your shoulders… good, now here" she said, handing her the bow. "Grip the leather bit, make sure your grip is gentle but firm, don't squeeze or twist it. The pressure should be on the palm..._that's _it. Now take your other and grip the string with your middle, index and ring finger holding the arrow right at the end between your index and middle finger. Good! Wow that normally takes a while to get!" she shrugged "Maybe I'm just an awesome teacher!" she said grinning.

"Or maybe the girl has a natural talent." said a stiff voice behind her, Ingrid was about to spin around to look, but again, the voice came "Don't change thy posture" The owner of the voice walked in front of her, it was circlet girl. Alisara, Eva, and Lyra jumped to attention and saluted her "Lieutenant Zoë! This is a …surprise"

"Yes. Now—"she turned to Ingrid "—Pull your string arm back slowly in so thy hand is right under thy jaw" Ingrid followed her directions carefully, she hadn't been nervous before but now she felt a great desire to impress the lieutenant. She was obviously an important person and she had taken interest in her…_her_!

"Have thy elbow pulled up a little… Now look at the target, focus, take a deep breath and… _release!" _

There was a sharp _Twok! _ and the arrow flew towards the target, embedding itself in the orange area, right next to the bull's-eye. No one spoke.

"Did I do something wrong?" Ingrid asked, hesitantly.

"Quite the opposite. I am I correct to say that thou has never shot a bow and arrow before?"

"…yes"

"It is very unusual for a beginner to get so close to a bull's-eye, or even hit the target."

"Maybe it was a fluke?" Ingrid suggested

"Try again. Without anyone correcting thy mistakes"

Ingrid tried again, this time it landed _on _the bull's-eye.

Zoë's eyes gleamed "That is very… interesting, when we are reunited with our goddess, I will have to bring you up." she walked back to her aisle.

"Wow you seriously are good" said Eva in awe.

"You mean for a beginner" Ingrid replied

"No, we mean for any one!" Lyra exclaimed

"And, what's more Zoë was impressed, and that doesn't happen often." said Alisara.

"Oook, lets get back to practicing, Eva, you want to be next?" said Ingrid, but every one could see she was _glowing _with happiness, they could also see she was a bit embarrassed, so they practiced.

About an hour later a loud horn sounded, and the huntresses started to pack up their stuff.

"Um… what was that?" asked Ingrid

Eva looked surprised then laughed "Sorry, I keep forgetting I actually know more about the camp then you, even though I've only been here once before. It's the dinner bell, C'mon, let's go"

**OOOOOOOK… that was a long chapter (for me) I did about 1000 more words then I normally do. I need to apologize to meiscool2 I got the name rong and called her meisawsome… sryyyyyyyyy. next time she **_**will **_**be claimed … I think. it doesn't matter cuz u all no who her mom is. anyways in a couple chapters the story will start to kick of properly and stuff. Im gonna change the rating to T so I can swear a little. I'm not big on swearing (I don't do it) but a book is different, it just needs a little to bring up the characters. o and all the archery stuff is from a website, but I dunno how good that web is so… ya**


	6. Chapter 6

sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry

**sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry**

**sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry**

**sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry**

**I didn't mean 2 not rite for so long! i had all these ideas in spain and then I came back and I was like… huh? wasgoinon… any ways last night I had a nightmare that all the characters ganged up and killed me cuz I didn't rite. so ya. and then meiscool2 was a 5 years boy with pimples (sorry) who joan fed my roasted guts to… but then ingrid visited me in hades and told me the rest of her story, so I cud get over my riters block. that happens to me. **

Ingrid went to the dinner pavilion half skipping. The archery, the huntresses, the shock of having more then one friend was getting her high. Even before her dads murder she hadn't had many friends, she was weird, and when she was that young, no one really cared if she was pretty, she was a freak. Now she could count her friends with two hands, _two. _OK just barely, she had six friends, but still, that's two hands.

Ingrid shook away these thoughts, the point was, she was walking on sunshine. For the first time she wasn't the freaky girl who looks like a Disney princess. She was with people who were also the freaks with other people, people who understood what had happened to her. Nothing could ruin her good mood. Even the fact that Travis and Connor had "saved" her a seat on the floor next to them while they sat, all high and mighty, at the table. Chiron stood up.

"Before we can start eating" he started " I Have some announcements to make. First Of all, I am sure that all of you have acknowledged the presences of some guests, please welcome the huntresses of Artemis!"

There was a round of unenthusiastic applaud, but Ingrid clapped louder then most.

"while they are at camp, we must all make then feel as welcome as possible "Chiron continued " and in their honor we will have a game of capture the flag tomorrow."

The cheering was anything but half hearted now; campers and hunters alike whooped and yelled.

"Secondly, we have two new campers, welcome Nico di Angelo and Ingrid Snowdrift"

More half hearted applaud, not as if they didn't care, like it was for the hunters, but just impatient. Ingrid stood up next to the Nico kid, who she recognized form the lake. A couple guys winked at her, she ignored them, right now, she didn't care.

Travis told her to go scrape some food into the fire for her god parent so she got in line. When Ingrid reached the fire she had a moment of indecision. She didn't know who her mom was. She didn't really care either. If her mom had let her dad die then she didn't want anything to do with her. God parent… Favorite god sounds better. After a moments hesitation she scraped some barbeque into the fire.

"Artemis"

As Ingrid curled up in her borrowed sleeping bag, she smiled, she hadn't been so happy since… well, ever. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow. If Apollo's prophet had seen her then she would have cried if she had any human feelings left in her shriveled skeleton, for the good was not going to last long. Not long at all.

The next day started out pretty normally, for a day at camp half blood. Ingrid woke up at seven for breakfast, then went down to the archery range to wake up. After about half an hour there she was hauled to the sword fighting arena by Travis, Connor and Orlando.

"You _have _to learn how to handle a blade!" insisted Connor "though I hear you aren't too bad with a bow" he added winking.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"News travels fast around hear, stop changing the subject. Take the sword."

Ingrid grudgingly took the sword.

"Now both of us are pretty good with a sword but not at teaching level" said Travis, it was weird, they both acted so serious when it came to training. But then again, thought Ingrid, as she remembered Joan, it makes sense.

"So" said Orlando, breaking her thoughts "I've convinced my brothers best friend to come down and spend some time with you, he also happens to be the best swordsman in the last hundred years" his face clouded "except for maybe…"

"Maybe who?"

"It doesn't matter, the point is, and he's good, really good."

"Great… do you think my sucky-ness will piss him off?"

"Probably"

"Thanks."

"He's not really in a great mood; his gir--… close friend just got kidnapped"

At that point a boy who looked about a year older then Ingrid walked into the arena.

"Hey" he forced a smile, trying to look happy, but you could tell he was really, really fed up with life. "Are you Ingrid?"

"Ya…"

"Ever used a sword before?"

"No…"

He shrugged "Worth asking, I guess, but most people haven't until they get here" He picked up a sword and appraised it with a critical eye. "Any ways, we're going to start with a few basic jabs and stuff. Um… but I guess you should learn foot work first" he demonstrated the proper foot work, Ingrid stumbled a kind of pathetic copy. He showed her again, and again finally she got it pretty much right. to her surprise he didn't look too annoyed "No one expects you to get it the first time, anyways I hear you're a good archer, I'm horrible at that but you have to learn how to do close range fighting as well. A close range fighter can get away with having no clue how to fire an arrow or throw a javelin, but in a battle, a _real_ battle, if someone attacks you close up, you have to be prepared."

Ingrid nodded, a burst of adrenaline coursed through her, she was going to survive, no matter what.

The lessoned progressed for about an hour, and by the end Ingrid was drenched in sweat though Percy didn't even look tired. She hadn't managed to get passed his guard at all and when learning moves, she was not nearly as smooth and controlled as Percy. She was shaky and unbalanced and no where near the immediate success she had had with a bow but she had tried her hardest.

"That wasn't too bad" said Percy.

"No it wasn't but thanks for saying it"

Percy laughed "You just need practice… lots of it. No ones a natural at everything. I know a girl who's used to using a knife or dagger, nothing as big as a sword, but if you gave her a sword she would practice until she was the best at it. Annabeth could never stand being second..." his voice trailed off and he looked at the sky. "oh Annabeth, its all my fault…" he whispered to himself.

Ingrid shuffled awkwardly. "What happen to her?"

Percy looked up startled, as if he forgot she was there. "You saw me arrive with the hunters?" Ingrid nodded.

Percy continued, "Well they probably saved my life yesterday. We were supposed to go meet Grover after he discovered to powerful half bloods, but we lost them. Me and Annabeth went to find Thalia and Grover to tell them but then I saw them with a monster, Annabeth had disappeared into the crowd. I was big headed enough to thing that I could take the monster on myself. I couldn't, and the others came to help, then the hunters. Now Annabeth is gone. I know she's alive and I have to save her… but I don't know how. I… I snuck up to see the oracle this morning, but she wouldn't ell me anything. I don't know what to do"

Ingrid watched him put his head in his arms. She didn't understand some of what he was saying. She didn't recognize all the names. But what she did understand was that this boy, at least a year her senior, who was so confident with a sword was broken. For the first time since she found out she was a half blood, did she understand how dangerous it was.

"I can't say that you'll save her because I don't know" she said. "But I do know that you have a damn good chance"

In a white marble palace above the empire state building the goddess stared into one of the many mirrors in her home. For once, it wasn't out of vanity.

"Show me the girl" she commanded

Her reflection in the mirror shimmered and disappeared, to be replaced by one of a young girl. Her dark ringlets were messy and unkempt; her indigo eyes were intense with concentration. Her face was sweaty and dirty and her clothes… Ugh. And even worse, she was with _them_. Those _hunters_. Did she have no self respect? But there was worse to come. She had heard the whispered words of the hunters that the girl failed to hear.

"So" said the goddess to her. "They wish to recruit her do they?" she knew with out doubt that this girl would accept the invitation if offered. It was time to play the final card, and she never lost.

Aphrodite smiled to herself. "It ends tonight… don't worry, I won't let you ruin your life… my daughter"

**da da dummmmmmm…. it would be more dramatic if I hadn't told u hu her mom was in the reviewy thing… again im sorry!! like reli sorry! school started but ill find time to rite the next chapter. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi ppl! I have been forced to face the fact that my summary sux like hell. cuz it does… but I cant rite summaries, I end up giving away the hole story… im gonna try and work on it but seriously i dunno if I can. sooooooo this is kinda cheap but If any one has any suggestions then TELL ME and ill use it for the summery. and by suggestions I mean if u cud rite me a summary it wud rock. I don't care if its cheating ok! I might just change it a bit so it has a bit of the rest of the story in it**. **also there were like 3 people who want me to get rid of these little notey things at the beginning but like… I cant. sryyy. I never did fan fics before cuz I feel weird riting for someone I cant see so this sorta substitutes for that, and reviews, but I get it if the notey things don't do anything but annoy u to death so then just don't read them then! **

The conch horn blew, echoing throughout the entire camp, but it didn't need to be that loud for every one to hear it, because that was what every single camper was straining their ears to hear. It was time for capture the flag.

"Wait, so what team are we in again?" Asked Ingrid

"For the fiftieth time BLUE and our leaders are going to be Percy and Thalia" answered Travis… again.

"Who's Thalia?"

"Oh my gods Ingrid, I told you that MORE than fifty times, I'm starting to think you're just asking to annoy me"

"Took you long enough"

"I'm going to _kill _you"

Ingrid waggled her finger at him "uh uh uh Travis, you just told me fifty times that it was automatic disqualification if you deliberately maimed a player"

"So you _were _listening"

Ingrid rolled her eyes "didn't we just establish that?"

"Blue team! Follow me!" Yelled a dark haired girl. Ingrid guessed it was Thalia.

She joined the crowd as they went to hide their flag in Zeus's fist.

Everyone was standing in a line in front of the flag with Thalia and Percy briefing them.

"Ok, so Beckendorf, Travis and Connor, you're on guard duty, Take Ingrid and Nico with you make sure you—"said Percy, or tried to say

"We'll send out a decoy to the left," Thalia interrupted "Silena, you lead that"

"Got it"

"Take Laurel and Jason. They're good runners. Make a wide arc around the Hunters, attract as many as you can. I'll take the main raiding party around to the right and catch them by surprise."

"Jeez she's bossy" muttered Ingrid to Connor

"This'll cheer you up, look who came to watch the game!" he whispered back

Ingrid glanced over to the side lines where Orlando was sitting with Grover and gave a small wave.

"Anything to add Percy?"

"Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We got five guards, two scouts. That's not much for a big forest. I'll be roving. Yell if you need help."

"And don't leave your post!" Thalia said

"Unless you see a golden opportunity" Percy added

Thalia scowled. "Just don't leave your post."

"Right, unless—"

"_Percy!_" Thalia poked Percy in the arm and Ingrid could see a faint electric current shocking him. It probably felt a bit like static… but worse.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry"

Ingrid smiled. "Yeah right"

The horn sounded and they broke up into smaller groups, soon no one was left at the base but Percy, Ingrid, Travis and Connor, Nico, and this big dark kid from Hephaestus called Beckendorf. Percy climbed Zeus's fist. His expression turned form bored to excitement.

"What's happening?" Nico asked.

"Can you guys hold the fort?" Percy asked Beckendorf.

"Of course"

"I'm going in."

They all cheered as Percy ran past and disappeared into the woods.

"Now what?"

Nico shrugged "I wonder how many hit points Percy would have… the hunters would probably have about 300 or something cause' Artemis has 600 but she's a goddess…" he mused

Ingrid groaned and buried her head in her arms. "Wake me up when it's over"

Suddenly there was a burst of footsteps and Ingrid jerked up and found herself facing an arrow point.

"Um… Ingrid? I think it's over …"

Then the craziest thing happened Nico looked up and recognized his captor as Zoë, girl who recruited his sister. All of a sudden there was a down right murderous look on his face. He reached up and kicked the arrow out of her hand. Zoë was to shocked to react and before she knew it Nico, the little geek who was obsessed with figurine fighting, was giving the lieutendent huntress of Artemis a wedgie.

"Take that you stupid—sister – stealing—salsa head!"

The weird insult kind of woke them up a bit.

"The flag! GET THE FLAG!!" Yelled Zoë

Ingrid's captor abandoned her bow and ran towards Zeus's fist. Ingrid, coming to her senses grabbed the bow and started shooting at her, aiming at the kinks of her armor. It was a lot harder to shoot such a small area on a moving target; she could never seem to get it quite right. The hunters hand was reaching for the flag, Ingrid had one arrow left, she knocked her arrow, the hunter touched the flag, Ingrid let the arrow fly and at the same time the hunter grabbed the flag. Ingrid's arrow hit the hunter's leg, _hard. _The Hunter dropped the flag and clutched her leg. Travis bolted to catch it but he was to slow and Zoë got there first. She grabbed it and bolted towards the stream, Connor and Beckendoft in pursuit, and a big hunter girl firing arrows at them. Ingrid decided to join the action as well and started to run. She was right behind Beckendorf now, her blood was pumping, she couldn't think of anything else but that flag. She out of the corner of her eye, she saw a pink glow above her, but she ignored it, it wasn't important to her. Apparently it was to Travis. His eyes widened and he pointed above her head.

"Oh my GODS"  
Connor turned around to see what the commotion was all about, and got two arrows sticking out of his helmet like antennae. Beckendorf and Zoe just managed a quick look over their shoulder. Zoe's eyes widened and gave Ingrid a disappointed yet cold look, like a teacher who just found out her star student had just robbed a bank. It was quick and she ran like a gazelle, across the stream. Ingrid looked around. Orlando looked really confused and Travis and Connor stared at her as if she was a stranger. She looked above her head and saw a large red heart above her head. It seemed to laminate the grove, tinting everything pink. The faint smell of roses lingered in the air, making her feel dizzy. She tried to swat it away but it was made of mist and her hand passed right through it.

"What is this, what happening?"

Chiron emerged from the forest. "My child you have been claimed for Aphrodite. All of you, follow me."

Ingrids knees went weak. _No, no this is not happening; it can't be, how, no no no…_

She covered her face with her hands, and felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Orlando.?"

"Come on" and basically forced her to follow Chiron. They arrived in front of the stream.

"The Hunters win!" announced Chiron, then added in an undertone "For the fifty sixth time in a row"

"Percy Jackson! Yelled Thalia, storming towards Percy. "What in the name of the gods were you THINKING?"

"I got the flag Thalia!" he waved it in her face "I saw a chance and I took it!"

"I WAS AT THEIR BASE! But the flag was gone." Said Thalia furiously. "If you hadn't butted in we would have won."

"you had to many on you!"

"Oh, so now it's my fault?"

"I didn't say that"

"Argh!" Thalia pushed him and he flew into the stream. She turned pale "Sorry! I didn't mean to—"

A giant wave erupted from the steam, blasting into Thalia's face.  
"Yeah, I didn't mean to, either" replied Percy.

"Enough!" Chiron ordered.

Thalia held out her spear " you want some seaweed brain?"

"Bring it on pinecone face"

Thalia yelled and a blast of lightning came down from the sky, hit her spear and slammed into Percy. The entire creek rose, Percy looked ready to hurl it all at Thalia when all of a sudden it all fell. Thalia turned around and looked. Ingrid saw a lone figure, thin and wrapped head to toe in bandages, green mist spiraling around it. It was walking towards them. Everyone else seem to know what it was. A horrible voice hissed inside her head. _I am the spirit of Delphi, _it said _speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. _It turned around, it might have been her imangination, but Ingrid saw its empty eyes regarding her, as if to say 'you're next' before turning to Zoe Nightshade. _Approach seeker and ask._

Orlando's had fell from her shoulder and without hesitation Ingrid turn and ran towards the cabins. No one noticed. But then of course, no one ever did.


	8. Chapter 8

**ok… sry I didn't rite earlier! I got appendicitis and just got it removed and stuff. It hurts more after the operation. Way more. I tried to rite in the hospital but do u no how hard it is to type with a needle sticking out of your hand? I hate IV it made me feel like peeing every to seconds. sry being random. OK I need to post a advert. ****Beta Readers Hear my plea! ****I cant spell and I have the worlds worse grammar and im not sure but I think beta readers edit ur work?? yeah so I think I need one. tho I wont always listen to him/her/it if he/she/it gets to bossy. Disclaimer- I don't own any thing u recognize, I forgot to do this before… **

Ingrid lay crumpled in her sleeping bag in the Hermes cabin, hoping it would be a while until the rest of the campers came in. No such luck. The door opened letting in a burst of noise, she could hear people talking excitedly. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. After about half an hour, the talking died down and It was silent, other than the occasional snore, and the rustle of blankets.

"Ingrid" hissed a voice.  
She ignored it.

"For the gods sake Ingrid we know you're not sleeping now stop being stupid!"

She stubbornly kept her eyes closed.

"Wow, I never thought you were a wimp, one little thing happens and you decide to hide from the rest of the world. Maybe you're more like Aphrodite than I thought"

That did it Ingrid sat up; her indigo eyes looked utterly black, like the sky out side, and tears of frustration glittered like stars.

"Say that one more time and I'll kill you" She choked "I swear I will"

"Whoa, chill" said Travis, raising an eyebrow "we had to get you to listen"

"Ya Ingrid, we just wanted to let you know that we don't care, we're you're friends and just 'cause your moms a creep, doesn't mean you are, you're still Ingrid. Orlando agrees he just can't come in." Agreed Connor

She wiped her eyes angrily "But you were right. I'm a coward, I'm hiding from reality. It's stupid, _I'm _stupid. Just like the rest of them. Why don't I just put on a pair of high heels and get it over with."

"There are other ways to face reality that don't involve becoming someone you're not. Why don't you just keep being you, carry one with life like normal and just not care? You don't have to _be _your mom, stupid"

"How can I? I mean you guys might not care but the hunters… they'll never be able to talk to me, even if they wanted. And if they did, how could I even look them in the eye?"

_Slap_

"What the hell!" Ingrid turned around to see a girl about her age looking seriously annoyed. "What was that for?"

She rolled her eyes "Stop being so dramatic there are worse fates than being claimed for Aphrodite. At least you were claimed! I don't even know you, and I don't care who your mom is, I think you're pretty cool anyways. Now stop wallowing in self pity and suck it up!"  
Ingrid was so taken aback that she couldn't speak.

The Stoll's laughed. "Ingrid this is Nimisha Thorn, but every one calls her Jinx."

"Uh… hi" Ingrid said hesitantly.

Jinx smiled "Go to sleep, and if I catch you moping around tomorrow then I'll be seriously pissed off" She laughed. She had a nice laugh, it was kind of strange but it was so… honest. Ingrid, though she just met her, knew that there was nothing fake about her. Ingrid smiled "Don't worry I think I know what happens when you get pissed of" she winced and rubbed her smarting cheek. Jinx smiled and turned around in her sleeping bag. Travis and Connor got up and started to walk towards their bunks.

"Thanks you guys" Ingrid called after them.  
"Thanks _Jinx_" Travis corrected

"Hey" said Connor, pretending to be offended "I think we softened her up a bit!" they laughed and got in their beds.  
Ingrid smiled and turned around. She wasn't as alone as she thought.

_Ingrid was running, she couldn't stop, she wanted to, with all her heart, but she couldn't, her body wasn't her own anymore. She entered a room with only mirror's hundreds and thousands of mirrors covered every inch of space, all of different shapes and sizes. All of them showed lies. They showed her face they way she thought It was, the way it should have been. Ingrid saw though the lies. A glass table shimmered into existence. She walked up to it and picked up the small looking glass on top. Her long slender finger reached out and touched it. At her touch the image rippled like water and disappeared, to be replaced with a dark scene. Orlando was tied to a bed, he was struggling to break the ropes. Two men in white coats leaned above him holding a glass bottle full of strange murky liquid that seemed to laminate the room with bloody light. A girl with an impish face was chained to a chair in the corner, she had long golden brown hair and a fringe. Her eyes were greenish blue with flecks of grey and she was crying while yelling curses and threats at her captors. Orlando seemed to know Ingrid was watching, He looked strait at her and yelled _

"_Ingrid please! help us" _

_The girl in the corner looked up and saw her "Ingrid! you have to find yourself. I know your there! HELP" _

_Ingrid opened her mouth to tell them she would, to tell them that she would save them, and that their lives were all that mattered to her, but when she opened her mouth something else came out. Something else, the same thing that had not let her stop running, took over her body. She opened her mouth and laughed. Again she touched the mirror and the image flickered and vanished to be replaced with her true reflection. Her eyes were a deathly black, like coal. They held no emotions of any sort. Her skin was as white as paper and her lips were stained with dark blood. She was still beautiful, but no longer the bright, young beauty she had before. She was no longer Ingrid. The demon had taken over. In side her head, Ingrid screamed while the demon laughed._

Ingrid woke up sweating, her scream dying on her lips.  
"Wow, you must have had one scary nightmare"

Ingrid turned around and the face of the girl beside her made her gasp.  
"Whoa, what is it? It's me, Jinx, remember?" Jinx rolled her eyes.

"Sorry! Just the after math of the nightmare, you know? It's cool now." Ingrid lied

Jinx shrugged "OK. You better hurry up and get dressed, breakfasts soon." she got up and walked towards the door.  
Ingrid let out the breath she hadn't noticed she was holding. Last night she couldn't see Jinx's face in the dark, but in the morning light it was clear and bright. She recognized the tanned skin, the impish face, the golden brown hair, the eyes that seemed to be green, blue and grey at the same time. She knew with out a doubt. Jinx was the girl who had been chained to the chair in her dream.

**ok I no that how she met jinx might seem slightly random and unrealistic but truly its the most realistic thing in this story. its based on how I met one of my bffs. In fact the whole jinx thing was kinda spontaneous. All of a sudden I just put her in cuz ingrid was starting to sound like me when my friend slapped me **

**( id didn't no her then) I kinda gave it away to anyone who noes her… **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey all! im bored****… they still aren't letting me go back to school. its been 3 days gawd! ya so im riting another chapter to pass the time. I got reli into it last night but my mom said I had to go to bed, so ya. arghhh the boredom is killing me! its killing me I tell u! ok every one I want to thank meiscool2 for writing me a review (she's the only nice one) and stormbrain cuz I luv her stories… and ailat (I thinks that's what it is…) cuz her reviews make me feel happy. **

Jinx re-entered the room, wearing a bright blue tank top and shorts. Ingrid sat up strait.

"No way, we don't have to where Camp T-shirts?"

Jinx smirked "You do, seeing other then the clothes you wore here, its kind of all you have. I on the other hand, am a year rounder, so I have some of my own clothes. Its not like I live in the same orange T-shirt… you only have to wear it for summer."

"You can stay here all year?"

"Yea…"

"Can _I _stay here all year?"

"Yea I guess, why"

"Well I don't really have any where else to go."

There was a bit of an awkward silence. Then "Speaking of camp shirts, yours is gross from yesterday. If you want you can borrow some of my clothes, we look about the same size." she swooped down and rummaged around in a card board box next to her sleeping bag. When she emerged she was holding a pair of black shorts and a purple T-shirt. "Get dressed, it's getting late."

* * *

"So what about you?" asked Ingrid to Jinx, having just completed a brief summary of her life.

Jinx shrugged "My dad died in a fire when I was little, but I survived with only a little burn on my arm." she touched her shoulder self consciously, and Ingrid saw a tattoo there, a "J" with thorny vines growing all over it.

"Then I stayed with my dad's best friend, she lived in Germany, but she got cancer and died when I was six. Then I went to children's home, but then there were a bunch of freak accidents, and they started calling me "Fluch", which is Jinx in German. The nun there thought I was bad luck as well, so she sent to America when I was nine. Then the name Jinx sort of stuck, I like it better then my real name anyways." she studied her bacon with a far away look in her eyes. "Where I stayed in America was horrible. Every one hated me because since I came, there were weird things happening, fires, things floating around, bathrooms flooding when there was no one there, that sort of thing. I got so sick of it. I ran away. I lived on the streets in New York for about two months before a satyr found me and took me here. I've been here about two years, no ones bothered to claim me. Maybe it's because I'm not really, you know, _good_, at anything I do. Most kids here are a natural at something that their parents do, stealing, archery, horse riding, sword fighting. I just wasn't. I just have to work harder than every one else, and someday, I'll be the best, and my Olympian parent will regret not claiming me." She speared her bacon, as if it was her worst enemy.

"Whoa, Jinx, don't take it out on the _bacon_" said a voice behind them.

"Hey Orlando"

He sat down next to them. "Ingrid why'd you run away from me last night"

"I just wanted to be alone, ok?"

He put his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok. I just wanted to tell you something." he looked at Jinx.

"Oh, right! I forgot to mention it!" she said sarcastically, then added "Don't tell her" as if it was the stupidest thing in the world.

"Don't tell me what?"

Orlando ignored her "Why not?"

"Cause it'll just confuse her and give her false hopes, she's been claimed, it's final."

"Well maybe it'll just make her feel less upset by it"

"She's OVER it all ready"

"Will you two just SHUT UP and tell me already?!"

Jinx glared at Orlando

"I'm going to tell her" he told Jinx, then turned to Ingrid. "I don't think you're a child of Aphrodite."

Ingrid was shocked "Orlando seriously, I've been claimed, yea it sucks, but that's the way it is"

Jinx raised an eye brow at her.

"Yeah… but you don't _smell _like a child of Aphrodite. You smell… stronger."

Jinx rolled her eyes, but Orlando ignored her.

"You know how in the cab on the way here, I told you that you smelt like a powerful half-blood? well children of Aphrodite aren't exactly that powerful. I mean I do smell Aphrodite, but its mixed in with another sent, like night and… something else, something really old."

Jinx blew a raspberry.

"Oh my gods Jinx, shut up!" exclaimed Orlando

She regarded him. "No."

He groaned "You are seriously annoying, do you know that?"

"What's your point?"

He rolled his eyes and looked at Ingrid "Alisara, Lyra, and Eva are waiting for you at the archery range, they said they made plans with you for today. I'll see you guys at lunch" he walked away.  
Ingrid turned to Jinx, her eyes shining. "Did you hear? They're waiting for me! Even though I'm a child of Aphrodite, they don't care!"

Jinx smiled, but it wasn't reflected in her eyes "You better go, you shouldn't keep them waiting!"

Ingrid jumped up and started to walk away but then stop and turned around. "Do you want to come with?"

"Really?" Jinx brightened

"Yeah, sure, come on, I'll introduce you!"

Jinx jumped up and joined her as they ran down the hill towards the archery range.

At the archery range, she found Alisara, Lyra and Eva quickly

"Hey guys! This is my friend Jinx; could she hang out with us?"

"Yeah sure! I'm Eva, and this is Lyra and Alisara."

Lyra turned to Ingrid "what took you so long?"

Ingrid blushed "I thought maybe you guys didn't want to hand out anymore cause of what happened… you know, last night, me getting claimed."

They exchanged looks. "well… yeah, we were a little shocked but we figured, who cares, its not like you suddenly change"  
Ingrid grinned. Alisara turned to Jinx "You shoot a lot?"

"Well I like to, but I'm not that great." She didn't say it as if she was being modest, just as if she was stating a fact.

"I'll go get you a bow" but she had barely turned around when a big, tough looking girl interrupted them.

"What are you guys _doing_?" she asked

"Hi Phoebe."

"What are you doing?' she repeated?

"What does it look like?"

"It _looks _like you're hanging out with a child of Aphrodite." She glared at Ingrid.

"Well so what if we are? Who said we couldn't?" Lyra shot back

Phoebe glared and stormed off.

"You'll have to forgive Phoebe… she's just a little sensitive about Aphrodite." Said Eva, she turned to Jinx "Why don't you just use my bow? And Ingrid can use Lyra's.

They took turns shooting, and it turned out Jinx wasn't half bad.  
"I thought you said you weren't that good" said Lyra

Jinx shrugged "I practice a lot."

"Good morning" said a voice behind them.

The hunters snapped to attention and turned to see Zoe Nightshade. Zoe regarded Ingrid coldly. "Phoebe has informed me you have been socializing with a child of Aphrodite. I see it is true."

"With all due respect, only yesterday you helped teach her how to use a bow."

"That was before her parentage was revealed. You are all forbidden to speak to her again"

Lyra bit her lip "Yes Lieutenant"

"What ever happened to 'Lady Artemis doesn't discriminate by birth?" Ingrid asked Zoe angrily. A flicker of remorse showed in Zoe's eyes, but she ignored her and turned to the hunters.

"Follow me" she commanded and walked away. Lyra, Alisara and Eva looked at her sadly.

'_sorry' ,_their eyes seemed to be saying _'We have to'_

Then they turned and followed Zoe with out a backwards glace.


	10. Chapter 10

**okkkk… life is weird sometimes and I think im loosing my memory (I wont go into y cuz it's a looong story). The doctors let me go back to school!!!! YAY (AHHHH I cant believe I said that) i went 300 words over the word limit on my essay on to kill a mocking bird, and now my English teacher is pissed off. my cat is eating my hair for some weird reason. I think I lost my copy of titans cuz I havnt seen it in like…a week and if I left it in the hospital ill die. o wait. its rite here, my other cat is sleeping on it. **

"She did WHAT?"

Ingrid looked around worriedly "She told Zoe. Travis, could you _please _not yell?" They were sitting by the lake, their feet dangling into the water.

"Then Zoe came over and ordered them never to speak to her again" finished Jinx.

Travis fumed. "Why the hell would she do that? That retard! It's not like it's any of her business! I'll kill her! I'll—wait… which one is she?"

"The one that shot the arrows in Connor's helmet."

Connor sat up strait "Ok, I agree, let's kill her"

"You guys, you can't just go around killing people" Said Orlando, rolling his eyes.

"Why not? You almost strangled that scientist when you found out he tested on animals" asked Jinx, raising an eyebrow.

"But I _didn't_"

"But you _almost_ did"

"But I _didn't"_

"No, you just got Travis and Connor to play an extremely rude prank on him that ended up with him running out of the lab in his underwear"

Connor got an evil look on his face. "And that, my friends--" he started

"--Is exactly what we should do" Finished Travis. Simultaneously, they leaned forward , their eyes sparkling with ideas"

"What? make her run out of a lab with her XXL panty hose on?" asked Jinx dryly, ruining the dramatic effect the Stoll brothers had created.

They looked at her. "No! Play a prank. Now, Minions, gather round." Jinx rolled her eyes but joined the group huddle.

"Any ideas?" Connor asked. Jinx snorted.

"What?" asked Connor, defensively.

"Oh, nothing, it's just Connor Stoll, criminal mastermind, asking for help from his 'minions'?"

"Shut up Jinx, I'm getting an idea" said Ingrid. She closed her eyes, listening to a voice deep inside her head, literally. It wasn't a figment of her imagination, it was truly someone else. The faint smell of roses drifted through the clearing and the words were clearer. _  
Centaur blood is like acid. When applied to skin it will cause a highly allergic reaction, the victim will be bedridden for a week with hives. _

She opened her eyes, "What about centaur blood?"

The Stoll's looked at her in wonder, and she could see idea's flashing around in their eyes, their minds going a hundred miles per hour. "Good, Chiron sometimes makes blood donations as a weapon, it's in the basement of the big house. Orlando, you're in charge of getting that"

"Why me?"

"Because you live there"

Orlando reluctantly left to get the centaur blood.

"Now how are we going to get it on her?"

Jinx thought about it for a moment "I was at the shop the other day, and I saw her there, she seems pretty obsessed with this shirt…"

"Quick, go buy it" he tossed her a couple drachma's, and they hit her on the forehead.

"Hey! Just for that I'm keeping the change" and she was gone.

Connor turned to Ingrid "go get an empty bottle of spray paint"

"Where am I supposed to get _that_?_" _

"Under my bunk."

"With your broccoli from last week? Wow, what did I ever do to deserve this great privilege." She stood up and bowed. "And if I might as, your majesties, what will you do?"

"Sit here and wait for you to come back"

Ingrid rolled her eyes and left.

* * *

By the time they had all returned, Ingrid's hands were filthy, just like the empty spray paint can that she clutched, Jinx however, seemed pretty happy with her side of the deal. She was holding a _clean _silver T-shirt, with no week old broccoli bits stuck to it. When she walked, Ingrid heard the unfamiliar jangling of drachmas. Orlando was leaning against a tree holding a plastic water bottle half full of thick, bubbling golden slime. Travis and Connor had just finished laying out newspaper.

"Spray paint can" Connor held out his hand. Ingrid gave it to him. He looked at her "You could have washed it"

"You could stop putting your dinner under your bed."

Instead of responding he ordered for the Centaur blood. Carefully he put on safety gloves and unscrewed the blue plastic cap. A plume of green gas escaped with a hiss and curled towards the sun. Slowly he poured it into the spray paint can. When he was finished Travis took the shirt from Jinx, turned it inside out and laid it on top of the newspaper. Travis sprayed the inside of the T shirt and stepped back to admire his work. At that moment Beckendorf walked up to them.

He regarded the T shirt. "I'm not going to ask" He turned to the Stolls. "Chiron wants to see you to in the big house, now. Emergency meeting about last night's prophecy." He turned and walked away.

Connor stuffed the T-shirt in his bag, and ran after him, Travis not far behind.

"Smell ya' later!" he called over his shoulder, and they disappeared into the strawberry fields.

**AHHHH I just realized that the meeting takes place like… the night before! not the day after! ahhhhhhhh. ok just pretend it makes sense ok? cuz im not about to delete the entire chapter. **


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm sad… I just started to grow my nails a bit… and I just forgot not to bite… and I bit. Now I have no white part on top of my nails. Again. Oh I shall forever worship those two days I had with long(er) nails. Anyways the chapter… yea. I know I haven't updated in ages, but u see THEY CANCLED OUR OVER NIGHT FIELD TRIP so I'm technically not suppose to be here. I'm suppose to b CAMPING and TREKKING (I luvvvv camping and trekking) sry… I'm kinda in a bad mood.**

Jinx and Ingrid were alone. Travis and Connor had come briefly to inform them that operation HUNTER was going good, and told Orlando that Grover wanted to talk to him. Orlando of course, was off before they could even tell him why. Then they were gone as well, off doing something or the other. Now it was just Ingrid and Jinx. It was kind of awkward. They had no problem talking with each other in a group, but it was the first time they had spent with no one else around.

Jinx took out a small sliver knife, no longer than a pencil, and started to clean her nails.

"So... why do you hate Orlando so much?" Ingrid asked

"Hate him? What the Hell?"

"Well you guys argue a lot. And you always seem to be trying to get on his nerves."

Jinx laughed "Its just fun, you know? He's one of my best friends, but he just acts so funny when he's annoyed. I know it's sort of mean but I know when to stop… most of the time." she grinned evilly.

"So… what do you like… _do_?"

Jinx raised her eyebrow

"Like your hobbies and stuff" Ingrid explained.

Jinx shrugged "I like sword play… and climbing. I spend a lot of time out doors. I like trekking in the woods and identifying all the different plants I see, and what their used for, how they got their name, stuff like that." she looked a little embarrassed.

"Plants?" Ingrid asked

"Yeah, do you have a problem with that?" Jinx looked accusing, but kind of worried as well, as if she thought she had scared Ingrid off.

"No! Its just not what I expected, but it sounds kind of cool"

Jinx smiled "I also really like to…" she clamped her mouth shut.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just… nothing."

Ingrid yanked the knife out of her hand and held the flat side to Jinx's throat. "You start, you finish" she said grinning.

Jinx clutched her throat theatrically. "You'll have to kill me first!"

"Then I guess I do just that"  
"Okay stop… I'll tell you!" Jinx gasped "I like… to draw". She was trying to cover it with the theatrics, but you could tell she was really embarrassed.

Ingrid put the knife down. "That's it?"

"You sound disappointed."  
"Well… yeah! I thought you were going to let me in on some dark secret but you… draw."

"Well, it doesn't really fit the image that I built for my self, does it?"

"Who cares? If it's _you_, it fits the image. If it's what you love doing then people who care about you won't give a damn whether it fits some image or not. I had to live my life with an image other people created for me, and I did every thing in my power _not _to fit it."

Jinx wanted to say something in her defense, but her mind was blank, there were probably a million things to say, but she just couldn't think of any. So instead she just said "You want to see my sketches?"

"_Yes_"

Sheepishly Jinx reached into her sleeping bag and took out something so beautiful it took away Ingrid's breath.

It was a small wooden chest. Its red wood seemed to generate a light of its own; and the carvings on it were simple yet beautiful, with gentle curves and carful shapes. There was a rose, a sword, poison ivy, a wolf howling at the moon, and a bear. The pictures seemed so different, so unrelated, but they seemed to fit together, like a puzzle. Jinx saw her admiring the box.  
"It was a gift. From the lady I lived with in Germany. She made it for me when she found out she was going to die." her fingers traced the images. "She had the gift of prophecy, you know. But she always said that it wasn't good to know too much about the future until it was time. She said these pictures would guide me. And I would understand them when the time came."

She looked far away and sad, no longer sarcastic. She unfastened her camp necklace. Ingrid had never really paid attention to it before, but now she saw it had bronze key hanging from it. She inserted into a keyhole and the box opened as if by an invisible hand. It held a purple book, a leather bound note book, a package of old photos and letters, two giant ancient looking books, and a bunch of bottles full of dried herbs and flowers, essential oils ext.

"What is all this stuff?" asked Ingrid in wonder.

"They're nothing really. Just stuff" She didn't seem to want to talk about it, so Ingrid dropped it.

"Here" said Jinx, picking up the purple book. "This is my sketch book."

Ingrid leafed though it. The drawings were very good. They weren't worthy of Leonardo Da Vinci or anything, but they were amazing considering Jinx was only what- 13? 14 at the most. She flipped through them pointing out her favorites, than she came to the last used page. There was a picture of a girl and she was standing in a room full of mirrors. She was holding a looking glass, and the face looking back at her was not the face reflected in the other mirrors. Her eyes were cold, black and empty; her face was a deathly pale, and her lips were stained with dark blood. Ingrid went numb. _I guess dreams don't end when you wake up._ she thought.

Jinx was looking at her with concern. "Are you okay…"

"What is this?" Ingrid croaked.

Jinx leaned forward to see which one it was. "Oh!" she said "That was something I saw in a nightmare, the day before you came to camp. I had to draw it, otherwise it kept coming back."

Ingrid thought she was going to faint. "I have to sit down…" she muttered and sat on Travis's bunk. Jinx picked up the book and put it back in her box. At that moment the door burst open, bringing a gust of cold air with it. Orlando slouched into the room and closed the door. He seemed distracted. So distracted that he didn't notice even notice the fact that Ingrid looked like she was about to vomit.

"He's leaving" He said angrily. "I haven't seen him in a year and he's already leaving."

**Ok… my chapters are getting way to spontaneous. I need to get back to the story. I need to get them out of camp in the next… 2 chapters? Ok this is the rule: if I don't get the quest started in the next 3 chapters max, everyone has to flame me and throw stuff at the computer ok? cuz seriously im getting side tracked and its to slow. BTW there are a few hints on which Jinx's parent is in this chapter. **


	12. Chapter 12

"You are going to totally love it here Ingrid!" gushed Silena Beauregard, head of the Aphrodite cabin. Ingrid was being introduced to the Aphrodite Cabin. Her messy hair and plain clothes were earning her some strange looks, here. She picked at an old scab until it bled. Silena looked at it queasily. "Hopefully" she said, steering Ingrid's hand away from the scab. , now you've found the place you belong at camp, you'll get those… _hunters_" she spat out the word like it was poisonous "Out of you system." She smiled and smoothed out Ingrid hair. Ingrid shook her off ran a finger through her hair, messing it up again. Silena sighed and continued "Didn't you know little sister that pulling back a bow string will give your soft little hands calluses? In fact I'm can see some now! Don't worry, I have some hand cream, they'll be gone before you know it!" she beamed.

Ingrid just glared at her and turned away. _Yeah right, _thought Ingrid _does she really think that she can buy her way into my heart with hand cream?_

"This is you're bunk" Said Silena, her smile now looked forced. "Why don't you settle down? Lights out in five minutes"

Ingrid raised her eyebrows and looked at the clock. _Is she actually making a joke? My old neighbor's two year old went to bed later than this. _"It's 8:00." said Ingrid moodily.

Silena laughed, as if Ingrid had said the stupidest thing in the world. "We need our beauty sleep; you wouldn't want circles under those pretty eyes, would you?"

Ingrid rolled her eyes and turned away. Her bunk looked different from the ones in the Hermes cabin, but when she sat on it, it felt basically the same. To bad it was covered in a pale pink quilt with lacey edges. She had decided against bringing her toiletries with her, seeing this is where she had stolen them from anyways. She turned away from the other campers and changed into the sponge bob boxers and white t-shirt that Jinx had lent her to sleep in. One of the other camper's saw her attire and looked like she was about to faint. Silena patted her on the back and whispered in her ear, something that sounded like 'she'll learn'. Then she clapped her hands "Ok everyone, lights out!"

Ingrid sighed and got in her new bed. She lay awake for some time. She was lonely though she was surrounded by 'family'. The thought made her shudder. They would never be her family; family was people who care for you because you're you, not people who share your blood. She listened to the sounds of blankets rustling and people shifting until the only sound was the deep gentle breathing of the Aphrodite campers. They seemed to be breathing in harmony, dreaming in harmony. Silena had been so nice to her, but it had felt so …fake. She didn't belong here; she never would, unless she completely changed herself. She yanked her blanket out of the bed and left the cabin. It trailed along the thin lair of frost out side; she pressed her numb fingers against the cool white wood of the Aphrodite cabin and pulled her self up. Her legs found the holes and ledges by themselves, her hands reached for the edges automatically. Her foot rested on a frosty ledge and she slipped. Her heart fluttered momentarily. She hadn't slipped in years. There was too much going on in her life right now. She kept climbing until she reached the roof. She sighed and looked down. She loved being up high. It made her feel so powerful, because she could see every thing so easily, yet they couldn't she her unless they looked carefully. She wrapped her self up with her blanket and thought about everything that had happened that day. The best way to let go of your problems, she realized is to put them aside and think about someone else's. It wasn't fair that Grover had left Orlando alone. Of course he had to save the world, but amidst all that, his little brother is left behind by the only family he has left. She sighed. She sat up there just thinking. She thought about her life so far, what the future would bring her, she thought about Jinx and her past, she thought about who she was, and what she wanted, and how she would get it.

After an hour, she slid down the side of the cabin and back to her bunk. Before she knew it, she was asleep.

The next morning at breakfast, she noticed Zoe and Bianca weren't at the Artemis table, and Grover and Thalia had gone to. They must have left late last night or early this morning. Ingrid wasn't surprised to find Percy missing as well though she didn't recall him being chosen for the quest. She was met by Jinx, Orlando, and the Stolls shortly after breakfast.

"I'm telling you, its peppermint! If it was spearmint it wouldn't have a stem like that!"

"Jinx, trust me, I can smell it, its spearmint!"

"Orlando, you had allergies this morning, you're nose is blocked, you can't smell anything!"

It had been two days since the quest for Artemis had left camp, Chiron had requested her to go into the forest and get peppermint, because his medicine supplies were running low.

"Ingrid, you taste it!" Orlando demanded. Ingrid sighed and picked one of the leaves. It tasted cool and soothing.

"Sorry Orlando, its peppermint"  
"What?" He picked off another leaf and chewed. "Oh… it is."

Jinx smiled and gloated silently, which was annoying enough. They started to gather the peppermint and then walk back towards camp. They were almost there when they heard a conch horn blowing. Orlando checked his watch, it wasn't lunch yet.  
"What do you think happened?" asked Jinx

"Maybe Percy showed up dead or something" answered Ingrid

Orlando just shrugged, but Ingrid could tell he was thinking of Grover.  
The three exchanged looks and sprinted towards the camp. By the time they got there, there was already a crowd of people around. In the middle of the circle, there was a big girl with dirty blond hair, dragging a boy behind her. The boy was crazy, literally. His hair was messy and matted with dirt, his eyes were wild, and his teeth were bared and foaming. He looked like a rabid dog. His fingers were blistered and bloody, and his nails dug painfully into the girl's hands. "Chiron!" the girl yelled. "Get us inside the big house, now!"

Chiron turned to the campers. "Back to your business campers!" he ordered. Slowly the crowd died away. Orlando approached Chiron, and gave him the peppermint.

"Thank you Orlando" he said distractedly, than brought the girl and boy into the big house. Everyone was talking about it, so for the next half an hour, Ingrid walked around, listening to conversations, asking questions, and pressing her ear against the door, trying to hear what was going on within. She picked up that the girl was Clarisse, head of the Ares cabin, and the boy was Chris Rodriguez, who had left camp to join the Titans last summer. Then Chiron emerged, Clarisse close behind him.

"Campers, gather!"

As if he had just said "Get a million dollars here!" the entire camp ran towards him.

"Most of you know Chris, who stayed at this camp for many years, waiting to be claimed. Most of you remember how he left to join the Titans. He left on his own free will, did he not? But did he stay on his own free will?" Chiron surveyed the campers. "I have detected a poison is his blood, a toxin in his brain. We must find out what this is. If the Titans have found a way to possess people it could be the end of Olympus."

The campers gasped collectively, murmured and whispered words of terror to each other. Dread crept into Ingrid's heart. The end of Olympus… though she knew of the war, it didn't seem possible for something so big, something that had held its place for over 3000 years could just… be over.

"Is the poison what's making him crazy?" Asked one of the campers.

"No child. That is something we won't be discussing today. Now, does anyone accept this Quest? A quest to travel to the Titan's base, to do what ever it takes to find out what this is, and how we can stop it from taking the next step. Raise your voice now if you accept."

Ingrid thought about how the hunters thought she was frail, incompetent. She would prove them wrong. _'But you've only had four days of training; you'll never survive' _said that little voice inside her head. But if she thought any longer, someone else would volunteer, and the opportunity would be gone, forever.

She stepped forwards.

"I'll do it!"

**one reli reli reli gigantic thank you to storm brain, who is now beta(ing) my story. Disclaimer, I don't own the Percy showed up dead line, storm brain does. **


	13. Chapter 13

"Who do you choose as your companions?"

The meeting had dissolved, now the only people left were Ingrid, Jinx, Orlando and the Stolls, sitting on the porch of the big house with Chiron. Some of the campers stood around, trying to catch bits of the conversation. Ingrid was curled in a ball on one of the deck chairs watching as Orlando nervously chewed on the table cloth.  
"Who do you choose as you companions?" repeated Chiron.

Ingrid picked at the peeling blue paint. "Them" she said, indicating Orlando, Jinx and the Stolls.

"Only two"  
Ingrid was riled, it was so unfair! "But four people just left for the quest for Artemis! Five if you count--"

Chiron cut her off. "That was on the direct order of the oracle. And only three of them were campers."

Ingrid fumed inwardly. She wanted to mull it over, to think about it carefully, but everyone was staring, waiting. She squeezed her eyes shut. _Jinx and Orlando, Travis and Jinx, Orlando and Connor, Travis and--_

Travis's voice ripped through her musings. "I am about to make the choice much easier for you Ingrid." He hesitated "I thought I wanted a quest, ever since I got here. But right now…" his voice trailed off.  
"It's not the time," Connor finished for him. "Luke disgraced the Hermes cabin and as its new leaders, our duty is here." He looked confident, but in his eyes a flicker of remorse was visible. Ingrid decided not to question his decision; the choice was hard enough for him all ready, as he _had_ been here a lot longer than most kids. If she probed further into his decision, he would change his mind.

Chiron nodded "Then Jinx and Orlando will accompany you on this quest". Ingrid gave a sigh of relief, that was one thing out of the way. He turned to the Stolls "You sons of Hermes made a very wise and mature decision today. You are correct to say that your place is here." He turned to Ingrid. "Go to the attic of this house and consult the Oracle of Delphi. When you return, repeat the exact word to us, assuming you are still sane."

Ingrid stared at him, but Chiron looked dead serious. _Ooookay… exactly how is a dead body going to make me crazy… _she pondered. She started to face the door.

"Oh and Ingrid?" asked Chiron. She turned back to him. "Remember the quest" His words were so vague, they could mean anything, but she just nodded and entered the big house.

* * *

The trap door shut, automatically locking. Ingrid gulped, there was no turning back. She studied her surroundings. The attic was full of severed body parts, glass jars with pickled eyes and toes in them, broken armor, and vials full of bubbling green liquid. Under any other circumstances, Ingrid's curiosity would have taken control, but she had eyes only for the shriveled mummy in the corner. Ingrid recognized her from the game of capture the flag. She shivered and took a cautious step towards her. "This is no time to be afraid Ingrid" she said to herself. "Just walk" She exhaled steadily through her mouth and walk across the room. The oracle limp form sat up straight. Ingrid had been expecting something like this to happen, but it still caught her off guard. She jumped, making the floorboards rattle. The oracle opened her mouth and pale green mist billowed out, covering the floor so thickly that Ingrid could not see her feet. '_I am the spirit of Delphi, _it said _speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python._ _Approach, seeker, and ask.' _The words entered her mind, stronger than in the forest two days ago, as they were meant only for her. Ingrid opened her month, but what would she say? Finally she asked "What must I do to succeed in my quest?"

The mist rose, engulfing her in it, and than it was gone. She was in the archery range with the hunters and Jinx. Aliana turned to face her and spoke in the oracles hissing voice.

'_You shall travel by sea through perils and pains, _

_In pursuit of the ship where the traitor reigns,'_

Jinx turned her head to deliver the next line.

'_The ancient warrior must walk again,_

_To end the battle that rages within,'_

Lyra opened her mouth, and the last line was delivered

'_The shadow and the light will merge into one,  
Not all can be freed, the sacrifice will be done.'_

Eva turned around opened her mouth, breathing greens mist. Ingrid squeezed her eyes shut and when they opened again she was back in the attic, the oracle was limp and unresponsive. She wanted more, she wanted to _understand. _But she had a feeling she could stay here for weeks, even months, and nothing would happen. It was time to leave.

* * *

Ingrid slumped into the deck chair.  
"What did she say?" asked Orlando gently.

"You shall travel by sea through perils and pains," Started Ingrid. They waited.

"In pursuit of the ship where the traitor reigns" She continued

"The _Princess Andromeda_ "said Chiron, nodding.

"The ancient warrior must walk again, to end the battle that rages within. The shadow and light will merge into one…" Ingrid's voice trailed off nervously. She fiddled with her hair. The field seemed emptier now, only a few people were left. She could see Silena Beauregard scowling at her. _Why am I doing this? Should I just accept that this isn't what I was meant to do?_

"What is it?" probed Jinx, "Ingrid, this is important we have to know _everything _she said"

Ingrid sighed "Not all can be freed, the sacrifice will be done" she whispered.

"Well, that's cheerful" said Jinx sarcastically.

Chiron silenced her. "You should all go pack. I shall contact someone who may know the whereabouts of The _Princess Andromeda_. You will leave early morning, tomorrow."

* * *

Ingrid yawned "I didn't think he meant this early! The sun isn't even up yet!"

"Deal with it." said Jinx grumpily. "Chiron should be here soon"

They had packed the night before; all Ingrid had was two sets of clothes, her toiletries, a jacket and orange thermal underwear she had got in the camp store. It wasn't cold in camp but it _was_ winter on the outside too, and Zeus knows where they were headed.  
Chiron galloped up to them. "You will be needing these" he handed them a small packet. "Nectar and Ambrosia" He explained seeing their questioning faces. He then took out a wallet "Drachmas, 100 dollars, and…." He rummaged through his pockets "three ship tickets to Panama."

"Why Panama? The prophecy didn't say anything about that" muttered Orlando.

"Because" Answered Chiron gravely "The _Princess Andromeda_ is in Panama Canal. Argus will drive you to the ferry station. Go to the Manhattan Port from there. You have a long way to cover, they are far ahead. Good luck and goodbye." He forced a smile as they stepped into the white minivan and drove off. Ingrid looked at the empty road ahead. There were so many sharp turns; you couldn't see what was around the next corner. It was like life. Suddenly, Ingrid felt completely vulnerable. _I'm done making mistakes. _She thought. _From now on, I'm going to be prepared for the turns in my life. Either that… or I die. _She was still scared, only an idiot wouldn't be, but it was bearable. She turned around and stared at the disappearing strawberry fields.


End file.
